Heritage Trucking, Phoenix, Ariz., is the first company to benefit from Kenworth’s new factory installation option for Watson & Chalin Tru-Track Super Lite steerable lift axles
available on Kenworth T800 and W900 models.
Heritage Trucking is counting on the new lightweight lift axles to reduce weight and boost payload on its 27 new Kenworth T800 dump trucks.
The lift axles are offered in single, double or triple configurations equipped with lightweight brakes, specialized hubs, 17.5-inch tires and aluminum wheels.
"We get paid by the ton of material we haul," said Heritage owner Pete Tode. "By going with the lightweight lift axles, we’re saving over 1,000 pounds per truck and gaining that much in payload over our competition."
Heritage has about 200 trucks – with 160 of them "super" dump trucks equipped with lift axles, including trucks that were added through an acquisition. Heritage is converting "super 16" dump trucks to "super 18" dumps by installing the Super Lite axles. The rest of the trucks in the Heritage fleet are semi-end dump and belly dump trucks.
"About half of our fleet are Kenworth T800s and W900s and we’re moving toward an all-Kenworth fleet," Tode said. "We spec’d a set-back axle on the T800, which provides a better turning radius for our off-road work. Our Kenworths are built for durability and reliability. They also have the cab comforts that appeal to our drivers and help keep turnover down."